James the Berk?

[Lissa Hess]

No: HPFGUIDX 105661

Hi.  New poster here, and certainly a major Lupin Lover (not that that's 
too relevant at the moment!).  I just really wanted to comment on the 
response most people have to James in Snape's Worst Memory.  (Forgive me if 
this one's been brought up before!)

There's no doubt James' and Sirius' (and even Lupin's, to an extent) 
behavior rings a bell with most of us and with Harry.  We can all agree 
that it's terrible to threaten someone with bodily harm, but we get just as 
strong a reaction watching the threat of humiliation.  I think the reason 
we (and Harry!) respond so strongly to this one is experience.  Not all of 
us are threatened with someone murdering us.  But how many of us remember 
being horribly embarrassed on the playground?  And still have some rancor 
over those memories?  I read what James et al did to Snape and I feel 
furious at them because I remember in sixth grade an entire class of kids 
trying to force me to kiss a guy on the playground- and I think of that.

I'm also willing to bet that at least one of my sixth grade tormenters has 
read Snape's Worst Memory and cringed thinking "Oh, man, I remember doing 
that!" and immediately leaving the memory behind because it's so 
uncomfortable.

Anyway, my current theory on why Snape's Worst Memory really gets people so 
worked up!

Lissa